Northview headed to TMSAA Volleyball Class A State Tournament

The Northview volleyball team is greeted by their supporters - including the Dyer County High School volleyball team - on their way to the best as the team departed for the TMSAA Class A Volleyball State Tournament in Brentwood. Pool play in the tournament begins on Monday with three games.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

By JASON PEEVYHOUSE

Sports Editor

While most of their classmates are wrapping up their Fall Break late this week, Northview's volleyball team will head east to Brentwood to take part in the second TMSAA Class A Volleyball State Tournament which gets underway on Thursday with pool play.

The Lady Choctaws wave to their supporters as the bus pulls away from the school on Wednesday.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

When the tournament begins, Northview, along with seven other sectional champions, will be divided into two pools of four teams. The teams will each play three games with the top two advancing to the winners bracket while the other two will be placed in the consolation round on Friday.

Over the last few days, Northview has been preparing for their second straight trip to the TMSAA tournament.

“They have been really focused and locked in,” Northview Head Coach Elysse Joy said of her team's preparation. “We've went back and worked on fundamentals. I think it's gone really well these past couple of days.”

For many of these players, it will be their second trip to play on the biggest stage for middle school volleyball in Tennessee. Last year's experience has come in handy according to the Lady Choctaw head coach.

“I think it's helped because they know what to expect,” Joy said. “They know it's not the normal teams we play around here.

“These girls are bigger and we're just going to have to be scrappy.”

The overall goal is, obviously, to win and bring home a championship to Newbern and Dyer County. But, short of that, there are other things Joy said she wants for her team, especially the ones who are not heading to the high school after this tournament and the rest of their eighth-grade year.

“I want them to want to come back,” Joy explained. “I want them to get better. I want them to enjoy this experience and want to come back for three years or four years. I want them to just enjoy it.”

Northview opens the 2024 TMSAA Class A State Tournament on Thursday at 10 a.m. when the Lady Choctaws take on West Greene at 10 a.m. in the Brentwood High School auxiliary gymnasium. The Lady Choctaws then play Battle Creek in the BHS main gymnasium before wrapping up pool play at 4:40 p.m. against Sale Creek in the auxiliary gymnasium.

All Friday games begin at 10 a.m. with the winner's bracket semifinals taking place in both the Brentwood High School and Brentwood Middle School gymnasiums. The consolation round will also be split between the two locations.